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Effect of hypoxia on arterial potassium concentration at rest and during exercise in man
Author(s) -
Barlow CW,
Qayyum MS,
Davey PP,
Paterson DJ,
Robbins PA
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
experimental physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.925
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1469-445X
pISSN - 0958-0670
DOI - 10.1113/expphysiol.1994.sp003759
Subject(s) - hypoxia (environmental) , rest (music) , potassium , medicine , endocrinology , physical exercise , chemistry , cardiology , anesthesia , oxygen , organic chemistry
Hypoxia has been reported to increase arterial potassium concentration ([K+]a) in anaesthetized cats (Paterson, Estavillo & Nye, 1988). The purpose of this study was to determine whether this phenomenon occurs in humans. The effect of hypoxia on [K+]a was measured in ten male subjects, at rest and during light exercise, before and after 8 weeks of physical training. The [K+]a increased by 0.15 +/− 0.04 mM (mean +/− S.E.M.) at rest, when end‐tidal PO2 (PET,O2) was lowered from 100 to 51 +/− 1.6 Torr, and by 0.10 +/− 0.02 mM during exercise, when PET,O2 was lowered from 100 to 66 +/− 6.2 Torr. Physical training did not alter the rise in [K+]a significantly. The magnitude of this effect is small in comparison with that of exercise‐induced hyperkalaemia, and is unlikely to be of great physiological significance at moderate levels of hypoxia.